Wicked Games
by ropesburg
Summary: They spent many sunny afternoons on wicked games. A collection of KakaNaru oneshots.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Soo... I decided that I need a place to dump all my little KakaNaru drabbles, and I don't want to keep making oneshots or I'll have a hundred, haha. I don't have any fancy story or general idea, this is just musings and little moments. Anyway, I hope you'll like it.

**This is KakaNaru aka Kakashi/Naruto. **If that's not your cup of tea, this would be your chance to get away!

Also, this might be the moment to tell you that all these are rated **T**. If I change my mind I will change the rating and put a warning in that chapter.

* * *

As they step out of the shower Kakashi takes the big white towel and wraps it around him, gently and a little possessively because he is _his. _The blond allows him to claim him, to love him, to wrap him in a towel.

A second later Naruto takes the control back and scrubs at his hair, the tan arm energetically abusing the golden locks with the worn fabric. Kakashi had turned around to fish up some toothpaste but put the toothbrush down again at the sight of the taut body so freely displayed in front of him. He steps closer Naruto, taking in the sight, and Naruto makes a little noise, a knowing sigh.

"_Kakashi..._"

Those blue eyes meets his, and they will him to stay away, a flimsy barrier, because he _has _to get to work in time every now and then. So Kakashi throws his hands up, leans back against the sink, content with watching, for now, a second. Naruto puts the towel over his right shoulder and closes in to brush his teeth. Kakashi spins around so that he's behind him, one hand resting on each side of that quaint waist, supported by the counter. His eyes rove up the well-built back, marveling at the smooth expanse of skin with its little dips and valleys.

Because of the Kyuubi chakra Naruto never gets scars, heals faster, runs a couple of degrees hotter than him. Kakashi leans in then, so close to the tantalizing neck, musses in the freshly-washed hair, still damp and smelling of his scented shampoo. He can't help himself, places a greedy kiss behind his ear. A shiver runs through the body in front of him but despite that Naruto doesn't move, is still fighting with his sense and the time table that cuts his mornings short. Under his lips Kakashi feels his pulse, the wrecking smell of him and he decides to leave a mark, _you are mine. _

A low moan and Narutos hands turns into fists on the counter, fingers clawing, a last outpost before he loses control. Kakashi moves his hands so that he's encircling him, binding their bodies together, wound tight. He kisses his neck and it turns wanton and impatient with a bit of teeth, because there are so many things to do before they have to be at work. The blond growls, turns around in his grip. He rips the towel from his shoulder and slings it around Kakashis neck, luring him in, dipping his head onto his mouth. When they come up for air they're both smiling but Kakashi more so.

Naruto scowls. "You had this planned all along, didn't you?"

He opens his mouth to argue, still leering, to say that it hadn't really been _all _along, but that his thoughts had pretty much cemented as soon as he saw him in the shower. He doesn't get the chance to say anything at all because a pair of hot, taunting lips are there, kissing the laughter out of his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

I wanted to write something sad, because it apparently seemed like a good idea at the time.

* * *

**Give him back to me**

They had begun moving in, the boxes were on the street, blocking the path and Kakashi hurried past, hated seeing it, the scribbles on it made by that familiar hand. He felt a waft of that same familiar smell and it ached, a hurt so indescribable that it burned as he touched the words in his mind.

He'd always know it could end, that maybe they weren't meant to be as he'd wished they were. What he wanted now, he didn't know. His mind was empty, vacant, echoing his last words, _goodbye, take care. _

Take care, take care, take care.

He looked back on the boxes, _it could've been my things in there. _But it wasn't, and it wouldn't be. He'd chosen, and he hadn't chosen him.

Maybe it was his own fault. Maybe he had driven him away. It was better this way, this way he wouldn't get hurt, at least not by him. Because having him close was as exhausting as it was replenishing, he never knew where the next blow might come from, in which way he would be torn from his hands.

Just that he would, like everything else he had loved and adored.

He walked to the store, bought some groceries, took the long way home, the one that didn't pass his house.


	3. Chapter 3

OKAY, YES I'M A CHICKEN. This story is now rated M, lol. Because I don't think you can pass this off as "minor _suggestive_ adult themes". Nothing explicit done though, just, uh, mentioned.

One day I am totally gonna write a continuation this, a proper one. I love NaruKaka _almost _as much as I love KakaNaru. And that's a lot.

* * *

Naruto had been drifting off to sleep, almost almost succumbing to it when he was struck with an idea that permanently chased away all hope of relaxing.

He peered at Kakashi who was beside him, reading a strategic manual on _dealing with the dissociative elements within the paramilitary forces_-something, Naruto hadn't really been paying attention when he'd explained. He suddenly felt a little insecure. What if he said no? He pondered it for a couple of seconds and then threw caution to the wind. His gut told him that Kakashi wouldn't mind. Hopefully not.

_Argh, screw it. _

He snuggled closer, decided to see how things went. He draped one hand over that appetizing stomach, started drawing little circles, awaiting his reaction.

Kakashi smiled, looked at him but didn't let go of the book. "Naruto..."

He peered back at him, looking innocent. "Mm?"

"I have an important meeting tomorrow. I have to read this."

Maybe it would be less embarrassing if he said it quickly? "That's great. I wanna top."

Two mismatched eyes met his in surprise. "What? I mean... you do?"

"_Yes._" Naruto said, exasperated, because what about that was unclear?

"Okay," he said and put the book away, leaned back onto the pillows, looking positively pleased with himself.

Naruto was still in a daze because of the turn of events. Kakashi hadn't even argued. Not that he ever had in bed, but...

"Well..." Kakashi said and Naruto looked down at him, for a second dumbstruck by how good he looked, a shit-eating grin plastered across his stupidly handsome face, he arched a silver eyebrow. "Aren't you gonna do it?"

Naruto wasn't following. "Do _what?_"

Kakashi leaned in, nibbled on his neck, on that particularly sensitive spot that would melt him every time and he moaned despite knowing that the initiative was being taken from him. "Ravage me," Kakashi whispered in his ear and the world came to a full stop.


	4. Chapter 4

My friend was talking about her OC's and how she would be mighty disappointed if no one wrote a stuck in an elevator fic about them. And I, being the very kind person that I am (uh), said that I totally would. So this is just practice. Really. And not at all that my brain might have stolen the idea and KakaNaru'd it. Nope.

**Office AU**. Kakashi and Naruto gets stuck in an elevator. Yes, you read that right.

* * *

With a low creak the elevator stopped. Naruto pretended like he hadn't heard anything. It probably always did this, right? He pulled the bag strap up higher on his shoulder as it kept sliding down.

It didn't feel as if they were moving.

He glanced at the other guy, tried to find something reassuring. The man with the strange, gray hair turned another page.

_See?_, his brain told him, _he doesn't look worried. _

Then again, the man looked as if he wouldn't be worried ever, his entire being exuded laziness. Naruto did a double take. Was that...porn? He quickly glanced at the cover again. Yes, yup, porn. Alrighty then. He indignantly looked back at the silver doors.

No need to panic, this was probably just one of those super-quiet and super-super-_super_ smooth elevators, one where you didn't even notice you were going down. _Right?_

The display had stopped on 15, and Naruto actually felt his insides quiver a bit. He'd never been fond of heights. But there was no need to worry! _Maybe 15 is just a really long floor- _and now it was getting ridiculous.

The man beside him still hadn't spoken, only flipped a page now and then. He looked completely calm, which was reassuring.

"Uh," Naruto said, finally succumbing to the need of breaking the awkward silence. "Does it... always do this?" he asked hesitantly.

The other guy looked up then, a black, intelligent eye peering at him from above the green book cover. "Do what?" he asked politely in return.

It seemed he hadn't noticed the embarrassingly long elevator ride.

"We've stopped," Naruto clarified, nodding at the frozen display above them.

"Oh, right. That. I thought you'd pushed the emergency button or something." He said in a light tone, purely stating facts, still smiling. Grass was green, the sky was blue, and he considered Naruto some kind of transportation vigilante.

"Why would I?" Naruto spluttered. Did he look like someone who pushed emergency buttons for fun?!

"You seem a little jumpy," the man offered helpfully.

"That's because I'm stuck in an elevator."


	5. Carry me

I felt like writing something innocent and cute and I have been writing a lot from Naruto's point of view recently and I am so done with these two please help I'm in love with them being so respectful of each other *sobbing intensifies*

**Rated K. Canon!verse, just after the war has ended.** Might be AU in a week or two, I don't even know what is going on in the manga anymore.

* * *

Naruto wobbles where he stands and he thinks _shit_ because he knows there are only rocks on the ground and he doesn't feel like banging his knees up again but he has no energy left-

A sturdy arm catches him, drags him upright. He looks but doesn't need to, since the word _infallible_ is the one that comes to mind and there is only one person that is.

"Kakashi-..." and he is unsure of how to finish, of which connotations the name should bring him now.

"I'll carry you," Kakashi says mildly and that sounds like a good idea, which the mop-haired self-sacrificing new Hokage often has a bunch of. Naruto hops on, a notion that seems unbefitting of a leader and maybe even of himself but he's exhausted, doesn't care. He has missed this, he realizes. The slow movement over the burnt ground, a steady carrying.

"You should eat more," Naruto chuckles. He feels the lanky waist between his thighs, Kakashi hums in response. Naruto slouches against his back, securely fastened by the iron-grip he has around Kakashis neck. He allows himself to tire some, filled with need to not do anything.

Kakashi treads gently over the down-fallen branches, and by his shoulders the world is reduced to the humming, leaning rhytm of his steps.

Where he is sitting, a little too reminiscent of a baby monkey for it to be entirely comfortable, Naruto draws a deep breath, content at last. There was something in being carried that tinges all kinds of colors from him.

Lots of people had been nice to him, kind even, but they kept a distance, two breaths behind, he wasn't used to people letting him come close. And if he thinks it's humbling to be carried and that Kakashi smells kind of nice, well then it wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen today.


	6. Distance

Dust.

His mouth was dry, his body ached. He heard someone next to him, cursing.

He listened.

It was the one he'd left for this exact reason. He hadn't told Naruto, had asked Shikamaru instead. He should have known that he'd come anyway. Naruto had leveled God only knew how many mountains to get there. Kakashi wasn't worth it, not by far.

"Good morning," he croaked, to say anything at all.

Naruto looked up. "Sensei!" He was dirty and his eyes were glossy like he'd been on the verge of crying (over _him?_) but he smiled despite that. "Look, I fixed them for you!"

He reached the bells out and sure enough, they were round again.

Kakashi didn't want him there. His resolve to _fix this_ was rusting, becoming less knightly, soon all his vows would turn into a pile of scrap metal. Naruto looked proud, waited for him to say something, wishing to lure out the praise that in Kakashi was excessive, since Naruto deserved praise, even more than he could give because what kind of student did that? What kind of student saved their teacher, time and time again, despite their reluctant protests? He opened his mouth to do just that, to thank him for giving him more chances than he deserved.

His courage failed him.

_Not this time._

* * *

Dirt.

When he woke up it was with a sense of dread.

The sun was impossibly light and as he flung himself up he heard the people situated around him gasp. Some students, but not the one he thought about, not the one responsible for this. He knew who it was (not how, never _how_-) but he knew that is was Narutos doing.

Where was he? The town was battered and pushed.

Kakashi got up, ignored the cries from people who thought to know better than him taking action. He needed to find him before anyone else did.

He did a quick overlay, got a whiff of something that might be-

He ran.

_I won't let you fall._

_Not this time._

* * *

Defeat.

For his mouth over his judgment. He wanted him to understand.

To say it out loud.

"Saying that you will protect someone is a burden you will have to carry for the rest of your life," Kakashi said, and perhaps only then was he beginning to grasp the infinitude of meanings that he slung out into the air.

_There you go_, he thought.

_I've been telling you all along._

He'd had precious people and he lost them, so he gave up. He gave up on all but one. Someone infinitely important for reasons he didn't understand himself.

Naruto looked grim, his clear face bothered by the weight of souls upon his shoulders.

They were standing with the shinobi forces behind them, a vapid backdrop to the scorching of the skies from war. The air smelled of bombs and distrust and carnage and the ground was ashen from impending doom. Kakashi didn't mind, but instead made a promise.

The hazy dust made his eyes hurt and he blinked, looked at Naruto as if they would both be gone soon.

_I won't leave you,_ he thought.

_Not this time._

Not ever.


	7. Chapter 7

Crack cracky crack crack. I got... inspired.

Don't try and make sense of it. No, really.

Don't.

_Shh shh shh._

* * *

Pajamas.

The boy (man? it chafed in Kakashi as he tried to figure out where Naruto belonged since he was in his twenties now) was in his green pajamas. The one with blue frogs on it, made out of cotton, with the round brass-buttons and big pockets on both sides of his chest. Kakashi stared at the print some more because why would you make the frogs _blue _instead of green, when the latter should have been the obvious choice between the two?

"Sensei," Naruto started, a reasonable start indeed, for all intents and purposes.

At four-fucking hell in the morning Kakashi was in the buzzing nowhere land between inebriated and hungover but still definitely regretting all the sake, and kind of wished his loveable student could get whatever off his chest so Kakashi could go to sleep again. He grunted in response.

"Sensei," Naruto said again, now looking worried, which was frankly a _very_ bad sign, clocking in somewhere between being invaded by three nations at once and Anko inviting him to dinner.

"I think I burned my house down," he breathed.

Kakashi was quiet for three consequtive seconds. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead he blinked. _What-_

He hadn't noticed it at first, but Narutos shoulders slumped, the blond head of hair hung, and he had a pillow hesitantly stuffed under his arm.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I fell asleep cooking ramen," Naruto muttered and looked away. Kakashi made a strangled sound. The seconds ticked by. In his muddled state he still didn't understand what it had to do with him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said instead, since it was the polite thing to do. Maybe. He didn't have a ramen-protocol. "What-..." he began but stopped, since outright asking was a bit much.

Naruto looked up, seeing that the time had come to beg for favors. "Can I stay here, for tonight?"

"Uh..." He wasn't used to having people in his apartment. His home was a place to eat and sleep, and had been entirely his own ever since an early age. To let someone in made him, if not uncomfortable, then at least taken aback.

"I don't want to ask Sakura because _Sasuke_ and I don't want to ask Sasuke because _Sasuke_ and Kiba would put up with me but Akamaru takes up all the place since Kiba lives in a shoebox and Lee-"

Naruto went on to explain the dynamic morning routines and Kakashi didn't want to hear it, to make him beg because if he listened long enough he feared that was what it would boil down to.

"Sure," he said, made an uncommitted wave towards the door. "You get the sofa," he muttered because there was a limit to the things he would put up with (Naruto drooled in his sleep).

"I brought my futon," Naruto said and his face shone in the soft pink morning light as he smiled.

Kakashi nodded, deciding to care about the little details later, like how he'd had the time to save the extra bed while not being able to put out the fire. Whatever. Had his shoulders not been full of lead, Kakashi would have shrugged. He went back to bed, heard Naruto start packing up, locking the door, make himself at home. He told Naruto where to find the bedding and then wrapped himself up in the covers, quickly drifting back into a welcoming sleep.

* * *

There just might be a part 2 of this. But I have to sleep first.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm crazy busy with school and barely have time to write anything, but I saw that it was Kakashis birthday today and well one thing led to another...

* * *

As soon as he heard steps in the hallway Naruto froze with the pen still on the paper. Sure enough, Kakashi opened the door, leaned in. "Yo."

There he was, with the orange book and thick green jounin vest that hid his miniscule waist and the white hair that imminently stood askew. Naruto was quiet for a second because he still wasn't sure if he should be doing this. After a short internal discussion along with some personal name-calling, he came to his senses and lured Kakashi closer with a _come here _hook of his finger. His sensei obliged, the tiniest bit curious and intricately wary of him, knew that Naruto's ideas for the most part were both zany and cajoling.

He stopped in front of the desk, the orange book now firmly placed in front of his face to make sure that he was properly shielded from whatever the Hokage was planning. Naruto stood up as well, almost as tall as him.

"What can I do for you?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto wondered for a second if he was prettier up close or if that was just... just...

He took a deep shaky breath, asked the carefully thought out sentence. "What was your last mission?"

Kakashis eyebrows went up at the odd question but he decided to answer anyway, "Well, I went to Suna-"

_Now! _

Naruto flung his hands out, ripped down the mask and Kakashi's hands at the same time, shoved his face at the copy ninja's, hoping that his sensei wouldn't bail because honestly he could at any given second-

Naruto had both hands firmly planted on each side of his face, felt the prickles from the couple-of-days-old stubble under his palms and Kakashi was _warm_ and his lips were warm and he still tasted of his breakfast and the knowledge tied a million little knots in Narutos stomach. _God_ he had to let go and take a ragged breath.

Kakashi blinked, looking confused. "Um-"

Naruto straightened up from his kiss-induced slouch and let go of him. He cleared his throat. "Well, uh, happy birthday?"

On the other side of the desk Kakashi stood still with his mask down and a reddish tinge to his cheeks that made Naruto want to stomp his foot onto the floor, because it was_ infuriating-_, or even go crawling across the desk to pick up where they left off, and next time he'd go longer without breathing because the feel of his lips made it worth it to pass out or even more.

"...thank you?" Kakashi said, and snuck his mask back up.


	9. Chapter 9

The chemistry book is in front of me. Am I reading it? _Noo._

I was just- and the- and I-

**Kakashi's POV. **

I'll get back to studying now. Really.

* * *

You stole the scroll, when you were young.

It was meant for anyone but you, but you bent the rules, bent them by the slightest of touches. As a thunderstorm in a tea cup, making it quiver.

You used to lie so close to me, chattering about pieces and bits of your day. The words were serenades and the stories were yukatas you had worn. They were draped across your chest.

Fearless and determined as a bird perching atop the vast telephone wires, you saw nothing but the endless sky. I loved looking at you when you were looking at the sky.

Little by little, over a period of days that didn't matter if you weren't there, the earth crumbled beneath the soles of my worn-soft shoes.

Every name yelled on the street was the name I'd given you. Perhaps less of a name, but a tug of the heart. Every name was your name and every smile was your smile.

Many years ago, you stole a scroll.

And I think you stole my heart.


	10. Chapter 10

"You're stupid. You-" he took a moment to point at the one with the grey hair and causing lips and never ending stream of excuses "You," he begun again, because he got lost in his eyes and in the air, "_Stupid. _Stupid sensei. You idiot. You can't just go and _off _yourself like that. Are you an idiot?!"

Kakashi just looked back at him, never replying, he took everything Naruto threw at him with a readiness that screamed of suppressed importance.

"And you _matter._ You matter to me, just get it through that damn genius head of yours."

Those black eyes tried to interfere, to stop those words that would ruin everything but he had had it with shutting up. "Naruto, I-" Kakashi wouldn't be quiet, and Naruto did the only thing he could, grabbed a handful of jounin vest and tugged his stupid, _stupid _sensei close enough to kiss, ignoring the stillness that lasted half a second before he finally started kissing him back.

* * *

The pleasing weight of him, melted against him, pressed him back against the mattress, kissed the laughter out of his mouth,

He heard someone outside the door and he stopped what he was doing. He halted his lips, situated right by his ear, could feel his own ragged hot breathing whispering "I think someone's coming." It felt like a thousand knives arching into his skin, and oh god Naruto was flushed and keen and begging and it was becoming physically painful to just _stop. _

"You'll be the end of me," he groaned, chests almost glued together by sweat.

_But what a way to go._

* * *

Kakashi pried one of his eyes open, somewhere in the distant he heard an aggressive ringing. It took a few seconds for him to realize that he should do something about it. Next to him Naruto muttered but refused to move and turn it off himself. Kakashi stretched one arm out and fumbled by the bed until he found the switch and the alarm stopped. A blissful silence unfolded and he sank back down to the alluring warmth from the body next to his. Naruto had burrowed down beneath the cover, looked like he'd been asleep for countless years, seemed so at peace it made his heart stagger. He didn't want to wake him up...

To put off the inevitable he took a shower, got dressed and then went and woke him up, which took longer than he expected, never got tired of seeing his shy smile in the morning, his little movements that were still a bit groggy, the sleep and dreams had not yet left his eyes, Kakashi looked at the time and had to go, couldn't help but to steal a last kiss and then he was off, without breakfast.

* * *

"Mm, _sensei_..." Naruto says and there's a lurch in his voice that any other day would have Kakashi reeling, but not this day. Nope, today he hears it for what it really is - a menacing, leering call of triumph. W

hen the Hokage kneels onto the bed his weight makes the mattress shift, and Kakashi's body dips in regards to it. It feels as if he's out on a stormy sea, and positively sea-sick. He wants to tell Naruto that he can go bite himself but all that he manages is a pained groan.

By then Naruto is on all fours which Kakashi _can't help _but to notice from under the arm he has slung over his eyes. The blond leans in, the tantalizing touch of his hair on Kakashis face is something the latter detests and angrily adores at the same time.

The hokage breathes "Are you admitting defeat?" right by his ear and Kakashi's headache multiplies, spilling out like boiled water in his veins.

"Shh," he says, taking a chance to get away from the prospect of losing something so miniscule as a drinking game.

Naruto chuckled. "I finally found your weakness."

"Ugh."

* * *

Kakashi reached out to pat him on the head, innocently.

He had no strange ideas at all. Really.

He patted the golden locks that were so soft under his fingers, they seemed light like silk. Without thinking he started nestling his fingers around a tassel, twining it, gently massaging the scalp with the pads of his fingers, and Naruto writhed. He lifted his hand at the unexpected sound and was met with a moan in protest.

"Keep going", he breathed, and it would take a bigger man than Kakashi to refuse him anything uttered in that tone. He kept going, and Naruto grew limp and bone less under his touch.

"You have no idea how good that feels," he muttered.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: _Am I too late for valentine's?!_

It's two separate stories, Naruto is 20-ish and Hokage. I'm both proud and terrified of what I have created. Mostly terrified.

* * *

The door to the closet opened just as Naruto was walking past it, an arm reaching out to pull him in. It was dark in the closet but he knew who it was, knew the shape of the man's underarms and his gloved hands. Kakashi locked the door, inching closer to the Hokage. Naruto could barely distinguish his white hair in the murky light. His heart rate picked up as a pair of hands started tugging off his coat.

"Wouldn't want to get this dirty," Kakashi muttered, finally pulling it off and throwing it behind him. The Hokage, aptly disrobed, started protesting but did nothing to escape. His back was pressed up against the wall, he was captured. Stuck.

"I don't know if this is-"

A filthy kiss, Kakashi inched a knee in between Naruto's legs, arrogantly steering him with the fingers in his hair.

"I have a _meeting_-" Naruto insisted, then jumped at the feel of a hand at his back, grabbing his thigh. He brought his legs up around Kakashi, his muscles already trembling by effort and the greed of trembling further. Naruto wound his arms around Kakashi's shoulders, exposing his neck to the hot mouth leaving bruises as business cards.

"_God,_" Naruto shivered. He was insistently hard with Kakashi pressing between his legs, the air was heavy to inhale, his lungs too small, too shabby. His sensei moved from the hickey on his neck back to his mouth, a farewell gift that ended with him pulling on his bottom lip.

Naruto was carefully let down, his legs unsteady.

"Go," Kakashi nodded, teasing. "I wouldn't want you to be late."

* * *

It was an early day in February when they gathered for the first meet up of the year. The tepid winds were brisk and rattled against the windows, despite the cerulean sky that seemed pristine. Two dozen men and women had gathered in the hall, discussing state affairs and treaties. The meeting ended on good terms before lunchtime and the participants started dissembling into smaller groups, amiably chatting and catching up. Amongst all of this was Naruto, taking the time to talk to everyone. He'd been Hokage for a while now but hated the idea of becoming sloppy, that one day he'd be impolite because of the contentment the title brought.

Kakashi was closing in, his tender chakra swept across the room like stunning spring and Naruto relished in it. It was nice to have someone he could tr-

_Pap._

Kakashi had patted his ass, the several layers of clothes making it a soft, hollow sound. It had barely been heard over the sound of conversation and friendly banter, and as Naruto was standing with his back against a wall, he was pretty sure no one had noticed. Except the criminal of course, now standing beside him. Kakashi seamlessly got involved in the discussion between Naruto and Gaara on how to deal with quotas within the council. The illustrious bastard was smiling under his mask. Naruto scowled in his direction. Kakashi was not averse to the idea of pinching asses, or more precisely Naruto's, in secret.

A couple of minutes later they started dropping off, one group leaving and then the other. Kakashi stood by the bright entrance, talking to Yamato. Kakashi kept his pouch on the right side of his back, leaving the left side unguarded. Naruto walked closer, careful not to make his intention known. He tensed his arm.

_Thwack!_

Kakashi jumped, stumbling. Yamato's stare traveled from the now quiet jounin to the grinning Hokage flexing his hand.

"Payback," Naruto explained.

Yamato shook his head insistently. He didn't want to know.


	12. Chapter 12

He put the book down on the coffee table, crossing his arms over his chest. The doorbell jolted again. He indignantly stared down at his bony knee, picking off a grain of dust. They were knocking now, asking, knuckles against wood, against peeled-off paint and Tuesday misery. Kakashi toppled over, dragging his feet until he opened the door. Heavy air trampled in, puking warmth in his apartment.

"Hey," Naruto said, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. "Can I come in?"

A candid living room. Sitting in the kama sutra-red arm chair Naruto politely looked around. "I'm glad you're back."

Kakashi picked at his book then sighed a _"Yeah_" in agreement.

"I have some news and I, uh-" Naruto scrubbed his left arm with his right, "I thought maybe you should hear it from me first." The young Hokage had his eyes casted down, pausing. "I'm getting married."

Kakashi blinked. He had no words for when the universe bled.

Naruto spoke into his silence. "I'm twenty five and we both- I mean," he drew a shaking breath, clawing at the fabric of his pants, "Hinata is wonderful. She's great."

In the sofa Kakashi put his book to the side. "I'm happy for you."

A moment of meeting eyes, of a decade of insults and jabs and years of talking and kissing.

"I should go," Naruto mumbled. He unfolded, staggered up, walking himself to the hallway.

There was a thump when he sat down, the soft sound of tying shoes, then sniffling, poorly disguised as clearing his throat. Then the sound of the door, lovingly gently opened and closed.

Then nothing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Pressure**

There were only some things that were forbidden. The future, for example. Mentioning anything reaching beyond a month would earn him a stern glance and a shrug of Kakashi's shoulders as he turned his head away. It was like the future didn't exist and if it did he didn't want to meet it. Discussing missions was forbidden too. If Naruto breached the subject Kakashi's jaw would automatically clench, he would sigh and shove his hands in his pockets.

* * *

Naruto held out a juice packet, "Hold this for me," and went on to tie his shoes.

"Why are you bringing juice to a lunch-meeting?" Kakashi scrutinized the labeling, "This is mostly sugar, you know."

The blond straightened up, reaching for his drink. "Yeah, but it tastes great."

Patting his pockets, Kakashi looked around one last time. "You need to eat better."

Naruto stopped with his hand on the doorknob, looking back. "..."

"We need to leave or we'll be late."

The hokage turned his back to the door, "How come we never talk about the future?"

The other man nodded his gray hair outwards and away, "Can we discuss this later?"

"I want to, I want to talk about you and me, but you won't _let_ me."

Kakashi turned away, "There's nothing to say."

Two seconds of silence.

Naruto swallowed, his voice thicker as he mumbled, "We should go."

* * *

"I got the newspaper here, if you want to read it." Kakashi held out the roll, not looking up from his orange book.

Naruto shrugged off the coat and hung it over the red arm chair, stroking his rain-wet hair behind his ears. "No."

He looked up from the sofa then, regarding Naruto with caution, pulling his feet down from the coffee table. "Did something happen?"

Taking a deep breath, the hokage put his hands on the chair's back for support. "We are _doing_ this."

Blinking innocently, Kakashi sat up straighter. "Doing what?"

His grip on the arm chair tightened, one hand flung out in the air, abrasively digging a hole in the air and involving Hatake, the man who had made _don't get involved _into a life motto. "I want to live with you."

The yelling orange book was put to the side. "You already are."

Naruto grimaced. "Don't pretend to be dense. It's insulting."

"..."

The hokage sighed, prepared for anything. "I mean, for a long time-..."

"..."

"I mean, like, _forever_-long." He blinked. "I know I'll want to hear you hobble across the hallway even when you're eighty-five and walking with a cane. But I can't-" He looked away.

"..."

"...I don't want to plan on that if you don't plan on that too."

"..."

"Stop _looking _at me like that-"

"..."

"Aren't you gonna say anything?"

* * *

The steam from the cup scrambled up, dreading the air, dispersing. He swept some crumbs off the table surface, cleaning the skin-soft aged wood of any breakfast remnants.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to wipe it off this morning," Sakura breathed, balancing the baby on her hip, searching the cabinet with one hand. "You look tired?"

Naruto nodded, scrubbing at his eyes. "Yeah."

She put the baby in the chair, carefully making sure the legs ended up where they should. "You wanna talk about it?"

Head shake.

A click and the jar was opened, handed to him, followed by a spoon. "One at a time."

He twisted it around, portioning up a small bite. The baby disregarded him in favor of her mother's movements. "Hey, aren't you hungry Sarada?"

Gargling sounds, chubby hands, keen movements in ellipses.

"No, you can't eat that, that's your bib."

* * *

It was colder when he stepped out. The spring air cried and the cherry blossoms could only watch as their beauty froze at the tips, magnificent buds that would never live. Taken aback, both the people and the lands could only watch as the winter bit back a piece of what it had lost, claiming the breeze as its own.

Kakashi stood by the entrance, his back hunched.

Naruto looked him over. "Did you wait long?"

"No."

They started on their way back. Naruto hadn't slept in their apartment for two days, instead he'd stubbornly nodded off on the repugnant sofa in his office. The main building looked like a brick in the distance.

"I was dense," Kakashi started.

Naruto snorted. "Understatement."

"-but I want to live with you."


End file.
